Anxiety and depression

"Anxiety in the heart of man, causes depression. But a good word makes it glad." 

                                                                                                       Proverbs 12:25   NKJV

Many people in our world today are in a state of depression and many have no clue why. You may be one of them. Anxiety can kick in when faced with pressures from people such as critics, ridiculers and even bullies. Once it settles in, a person can become a wreck and find it very difficult to face each day. In fact, every day can be a huge challenge to negotiate.

I am no doctor, but I have suffered depression for many years and know how difficult it can be to get through a day. I know what it's like to hide away when someone visits the house. I know what it's like to hide away in a crowd when I suspect someone is coming to speak with me and I would sooner be raptured than take part in this.

Depression is a great weight and anything out of the norm, such as an unplanned trip out, can cause so much anxiety. Living in this way is not easy.

But take heart, there are ways to control this. Yes, a person may need some medication to help give a kick start. Let me stress that there is no shame in having to do this. Anything that can offer some help has got to be positive. 

Take a look at our text today. The last part states, 'But a good word makes it glad.' Anxiety and depression are great weights that can bring about utter despair, but when an encouraging word is spoken to us, it can bring such a lift to our spirit. The thing is, if we hide ourselves away from people, it may be difficult to have good words spoken to us. But take comfort in the fact that we have the best word ever - The Word of God. Your depression may say that it doesn't want that but really, if you are a believer, you need it. It is your food and contains life and joy, peace and healing and it will never, I repeat never be a source of ridicule to you.

There is no shame in suffering depression and anxiety. It can happen to anyone. Take for example  King David and Elijah. They suffered such as this. They were great men of God and yet were prone to depression and it was the Word of God that brought them healing. If they needed it, you and I certainly do. 

You may be suffering today. If that is so, remember that Jesus knows how you feel and wants to help; He wants to give you that Word of Encouragement. Why not speak with Him today!

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

Go in Peace

"Then He said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you. Go in peace." 

                                                                                                                      Luke 7:50   NKJV

Usually at this time of year, there is much hustle and bustle as people dash into towns to buy Christmas presents for their loved ones; finalise the Christmas holiday or plan food shopping for the Festive period. Now add to this our present day problems, such as the Lockdown because of the Coronavirus and try to comprehend the ever-changing restrictions issued by the government. It is mind-blowing and causes sheer panic and frustration to many people throughout the world.

One thought to mull over is, if the Lockdown causes all of this panic, imagine what it will be like when Jesus returns, and that may be very soon the way the world is going.

In our text today, Jesus mentions three important words, 'Go in Peace'. The peace Jesus refers to covers a multitude of things but one worth mentioning is 'Shalom' a Hebrew word meaning, Perfect Peace. Isaiah 26:3. Jewish people greet and also say good bye to people with 'Shalom, Shalom', wishing them perfect peace wherever they go. It is a term that means good health, happiness and well-being. in other words it is a blessing, and one in which Jesus was giving to the woman mentioned in our text.

Jesus said in John 14:27: 'Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.' Therefore, He was blessing His disciples that day and He does us too. Remind yourself of this every time you read it. Jesus is giving you His blessing - Shalom, Shalom, His Perfect Peace, and this is the peace that He wants us to walk in.

There is so much hustle and bustle in this world at this time and, you may have a lorry-load to add to it at the moment. Your friend Jesus, does not wish for you to carry this around with you. He tells us to cast our burdens over to Him Psalm 55:22, and leave them there. He then wishes us Shalom, Shalom. Therefore we need to flow in it. Also we need to pass this on to other believers as we see them. They need blessing too because they feel just as stressed, if not worse than you feel.

So there we have it, Shalom, Shalom - Perfect Peace is to rule in our hearts. Read the verse in Isaiah 26:3: 'You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You.' Notice the last part, 'whose mind is focused and set on Jesus'. That is how we walk in Perfect Peace.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

Remain faithful

"Be faithful to the point of death (if you must die for your faith), and I will give you the crown (consisting) of life."                               Revelation 2:10   The Amplified Study Bible

The Greek crown or garland of green leaves, was given to winners in athletic event. James also mentioned the crown of life in James 1:12 as an encouragement to believers to persevere under trial. The thing is, when we come against tribulation, it is easy to throw the towel in and give up. 'I'm not playing that game anymore,' we may utter, 'it's just not fair,' and then stomp away taking our ball back. But just the fact that Jesus offers us a crown shows us that He wants us to win it.

He sees us as winners and the crown of life is our reward. Whatever we come up against, God wants us to stay away from fear. Faith cannot work with this. They are total opposites. If he can, the devil will try to kill or injure us as we try. He will try to discredit us by giving us a bad reputation; but just keep on going.

God has many secret weapons in His armoury and one of them is the ability to use keys. The devil may try to trap us or prevent us from doing a particular thing. However, God can use one of His keys to open a way forward, He can make a way where there wasn't one before. It's exciting stuff to hang around with Jesus.

God goes before us and does a recce of all that's about. He knows what we will be going into, hence why we need to constantly be in touch with the Holy Spirit. Things may not always go our way. A look at Shadrach, Meshach and AbedNego in the fiery furnace because of their refusal to compromise their faith, shows us this. And then, there was Daniel trapped inside the lion's den. They could have felt that this wasn't fair at all and agreed to compromise. But, they were committed to God and nothing was going to stop them from fulfilling His will for their lives.

When we're up against flak, it is not the time to give up and walk away because it is not fair. No, it's the time to stand and dig in. If we want to win that trophy, that crown of life, we need to grit our teeth and never surrender - except of course to God Himself. 

Whatever you are facing today, do not compromise your faith. Pray and give it to Jesus; He loves to help. He is looking for commitment and He is willing to do His bit too. When you feel snookered - can't find a way out of the situation without doing some damage, He is your man. He is sold out to you; is faithful and is your best friend too. Reciprocate and the benefits will be immense.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

Jesus - the burden remover

"Cast your burden on the LORD (release it) and He will sustain and uphold you." 

                                                                                   Psalm 55:22   The Amplified Study Bible

Jesus said in Revelation 2:24-25  'I will put on you no other burden. 25 But hold fast what you have till I come.' Basically Jesus is saying here, I will ask nothing more of you except that you hold tightly to Me. Did you get that? Again, He is saying that we need Him, things are impossible without Him and without Him we can do nothing. 

He wants us to live life without burdens. Sadly, they come along but this is why, He tells us to cast these burdens upon Him. He takes the burden away or He ensures that it is manageable. He takes the burden away but the world will try to bring it back to us. This is why we have to be careful and walk with Him - daily.

God is the one constant in our lives and He is our only, true friend. Yes, there are many lovely friends around, but none are as reliable and true as He is. He sustains us. The word sustain means to maintain, nourish, provide food, hold up, protect and support. It also means to defend us. Whenever we are in a situation that we find difficult or painful, as we acknowledge that He is our source of help and the only one that can handle the situation, He will be there, standing at our side and taking the control.

I am sure that there have been times in your life when things seemed hopeless. As you called on Jesus, He was there to make a way through. His intervention may not have been as you expected, but we need to accept that He knows best and that is the bottom line. If we have placed Him in charge of our lives, then He must have the freedom to do what he feels is the best way out of things.

When you have a burden, this is not the time to panic and go to pieces, running around like a headless chicken trying to sort things out but watching them get worse. You need to calm down. What's the point of panic anyway? It serves no purpose except to stress you out and make you ill. Rushing around too. Just because you move around fast under the pressure, it doesn't necessarily mean that things are going to get better. In fact, they'll probably be worse because in your panic, you forgot certain things that were relevant.

It is time to be at peace with God, to, 'Be still and know that I am God.'  Psalm 46:10. It is time to allow Him access to every part of you. It is time to stop the panic and hustle and bustle, It is time to seek Jesus.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

Nothing is impossible with God

"For with God nothing will be impossible."                                             Luke 1:37   NKJV

As we approach the Christmas period, I am reminded of the announcement the angel made to Mary about the birth of Jesus. She replied, 'How can this be, since I do not know a man?' This would have been a terrible shock to the young Mary and of great concern. She was betrothed to Joseph. How would he react to the fact that she was going to have a child when they had not been intimate? She would have had a fear that she would have been cast out and ridiculed for her behaviour. It would have been a worrying time. But Mary replied to the angel, 'Let it be to me according to your word.' This was surrender.

This is the kind of attitude that God longs for us to have when we are faced with challenging situations. After-all, He is our Saviour - if we've asked Him to be. Therefore, we can't really complain when things go against what we had expected. Sometimes, things go this way and we may be left with the thought, 'Why?' There really is no answer to that.

However, things may appear impossible to us, but they are never impossible to God. He is the King of the impossible and let's be grateful that he is. God is teaching us all to deny self and put Him in His rightful place. Many times, there is nothing we can do about certain things; it's impossible to try; and Jesus tells us that without Him, we can do nothing. (John 15:5). We really need to learn this and quickly.

Perhaps, you are facing an impossible situation today. You may have had a sleepless night and been pacing the floor praying like crazy. Just relax. You've prayed about the situation, now give God some space to perform the impossible. You do this by what Mary said, 'Let it be to me according to Your word.' This is not giving up; it is not saying that nothing can be done. No, it is putting God in the driving seat of your life. You're admitting to Him that you can do nothing, that it is impossible for you to try. In fact, you have done something when you think about it, you've handed it to Jesus where things are possible. You have surrendered to Him.

This is the total surrender to God, that He likes. There is no other way. We need to put ourselves into the hands of God, because, He has the power to do all things. We haven't. When we are in a situation where we admit we can do nothing, but we know a man who can, and we pass it over to Him; then we open up the options, and God is ready and willing to step forward and do what is necessary.

Listen, nothing is impossible for Him so, don't keep it to yourself, place it in His hands. You won't regret it. Say this prayer:

'I am in God's charge. My God is working out my life for me.'   (Andrew Murray)

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

You are so loved and so special

"As You sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world." 

                                                                                                                    John 17:18   NKJV

You are so special to the Father. You need to know this today. No matter what is happening in your life at this time, you are special and very loved. Just look at some of the evidence about this. He died in your place, on the cross, so that you could have a chance in life. He walks beside you - all the time and will never leave you. But, more than that, He trusts you. If He didn't, what Jesus says here is wrong and I doubt that very much. Jesus was talking to His Father and saying that He had sent us (you and I) out into the world as the Father had sent Jesus. What has He sent us out for? To be His ambassadors, to spread the Good News (Gospel) to all who will listen, so that they too, will have the chance He gave you and I.

He calls us His friends (John 15:13-17). That in itself is amazing. God the Son - Jesus, who was there at creation, calls us His friend. That is mind-blowing and that should make you feel pretty special. But there is more. Jesus told the Father, 'I in them and You in Me that they be made perfect  in one, and that the world may know that, You have sent me and have loved them as You have loved Me.' John 17:23. God the Father, loves you and I as much as He does Jesus. That is doubly mind-blowing.

So then, Jesus has sent you to carry out His mission to the world. He calls you His friend and God loves you as much as He does Jesus. Can you take some more of this? Ok, grab this. He clothes you, He feeds you, He watches over you. He has given you somewhere to live, someone to love, possibly a job and money to live on. You may not be rich by the world's standards but you have the riches of Heaven to look forward to and if you think that it's great to be alive and here at this moment, then just try and imagine what it will be like when you are posted to glory. We don't fully know what that will be like but no one has come back and complained yet.

Things may not be good for you at this time. It may be hard-going to get through each day. You may feel cheated, let down, walked all over, lonely and desperate. However, things have a habit of changing very quickly when you put your hope in Jesus. Listen, He is the only one that can take you through this awful time. Trust Him, He trusts you and He's the best friend you will ever have.

Alternatively, things may be ok for you but you know deep inside you that something is missing. Have you left Jesus out of things? Be honest, He is. Your friend is here. In fact, for anyone who is reading this, let me say that, you are on Jesus' mind, yes that's right. He's thinking of you. Why not talk to Him right now:

Lord Jesus

I need You, things have been getting me down just lately and I can't find a way through to make it better. But I know You know the way. Please help me today. I've just read that you are my friend and the Father loves me as much as He does You. Please come into my life and demonstrate that right now. I need you.

                                                                        In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

The Three R's

"4 Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.' 5 But Simon answered and said to Him, 'Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing, nevertheless, at Your word, I will let down the net.' 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their net was breaking.'                                        Luke 5:4-6     NKJV

God knows best; one word from Him can change everything. Note that Peter didn't argue with Jesus. He made his point but he obeyed Him anyway; it may have appeared to be a reluctant kind of obedience but Peter wasn't rude. Remember, these guys were seasoned fishermen; they knew their trade and when people are like this, they don't like being told otherwise. However, the only dispute that came out of Peter's mouth was, 'nevertheless, at Your word, I will let down the net.

When we are in situations such as this, we can either deny self or deny Christ. There is no other way. To deny Christ is to claim that you know it all, you don't need God or anyone, you can go it alone. When you think about this, it's a rather foolish thing to say. It is far better to deny self, God knows best. We allow too much of self to rule our lives. We can become puffed up and unteachable and when we are such, we will pay the price at some time in our lives. Jesus must come first.

Take a look at this situation. Jesus told Peter and the other experienced fishermen, to go deeper where they would find the catch that they were seeking. Peter started to consider this and then he decided to:

RE-CONSIDER  Peter had a little experience of how Jesus worked and in the short time that he had been with Him, he had seen some awesome miracles performed. In the split second of his thinking, he remembered these and decided to re-consider what Jesus was asking.

RESPOND  Peter had to decide what he was going to do here. He chose the better way and responded to Jesus' request although he had no idea how it would all turn out.

RECEIVE  It would have been beyond Peter's comprehension to believe what would happen next, but it did and they would have been astounded at it all. They received it with gladness.

All it takes is to obey Jesus, to take Him at His word. He will do the rest. All we need to do is to carry out the 3 R's formula - Re-consider, Respond and Receive. We can either deny self or deny Christ, the choice is ours. But if you believe that Jesus knows best; that He has your interests at heart and He will always deliver the best for you, trust Him, nevertheless what your mind is saying. He wants to fill your nets. I interpret, 'Nevertheless, at You word,' to stand for 'You know best Lord, You know best, I’ll go deeper.’

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

How long have you been waiting?

"At the right time, I, the LORD, will make it happen".                       Isaiah 60:22.  NKJV

Did you get that? At the right time, God will make it happen. Add this also to your memory bank, 'Even though it delays, wait (patiently) for it. Because it will certainly come; it will not delay.' Habakkuk 2:3. Let this settle your spirit as we look a little further at this.

Some believers, have been waiting for years for a husband or wife, or possibly other family members, to become Christians. Up to now, it hasn't happened and you're tempted to believe that it never will either. Don't go there, that is not faith. God does not lie. So if you've been praying for your loved one to get saved, believe and receive it because it WILL happen. Sadly, we don't know when but we do know that God is on to it; it is all part of His plan. If you've asked, you will receive if you don't give up. Be patient, God knows what He is doing. 'Yes but if we were both believers, we could do so much,' you may say, and that is true. But have you ever thought that God may not want your own plans, He has His own and as soon as you give up on yours, He may just bring His own into fruition. Give God, and your loved one, some space.

I know for a fact that some people have been waiting for about fifty or so years and in the blink of an eye, it has happened and their loved one is saved. Just be patient.

As I've said many times, waiting sucks. I believe that I am the world's most impatient man and I have had to learn that I can't have the things I want, just like that. There's often a waiting period.  It can be frustrating, I know, but some seeds take a long time to germinate but when they do, POW, they take your breath away. God doesn't make us wait because He enjoys it. There will always be a reason and sometimes, we can't see this. He may allow us to wait to teach us patience, that's a possibility, but usually there are things that God has to put into place before He can deliver what we have asked Him for. The person you are praying for, may be so far away from God that God needs to do some work on him or her before it will be possible for this to happen. This can take time, hence the waiting period.

In the meantime, do not bludgeon the person with God talk or keep reminding them that they need to make a commitment. It has the opposite effect. Instead of drawing them into the Kingdom, it takes them further away. To a non-believer, trying to force them into the Kingdom of God can be annoying to say the least. Just play it cool. The Holy Spirit is far better at evangelism than you will ever be. Just leave it to Him. Just be yourself, get on with your life, let them see Jesus in you without carrying around the biggest bible in the world or walking round with a wooden cross over your shoulder. Just show them Jesus in your every day behaviour.

And before you know it, they will be saved!

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

 

The cost of following Jesus

"Blessed (morally courageous and spiritually alive with joy in God's goodness) are you when people hate you and exclude you (from their fellowship) and insult you and scorn your name as evil because of your association with) the Son of man. 

                                                                                          Luke 6:22    Amplified Study Bible

When you choose Jesus, in some circles, you will be hated and excluded from people's company. Some may even lose jobs or be penalised because of their faith in their work place. When we identify with Jesus, we will be rejected and may suffer hardships. Take a look at Christians in parts of China, Russia and North Korea to gain an example what some believers are going through. However, this is the cost of following Jesus.

Some people may even suffer rejection from their families. You may have undergone this type of behaviour. When my family knew that I may be going to bible college, there was an uproar and a couple of them said, 'We don't want a vicar in our family.) I had no intention of being one at the time but I had to suffer the pain and cost of it all.

During WW1 and WW2, soldiers on guard duty had a phrase which they uttered if someone came into their presence, 'Stand and deliver, friend or foe,' and when you think about it, being a believer can be similar to this type of behaviour with some people. When soldiers were 'dug in' the trenches or on the rifle range, there was a parapet and if one were to raise their head above this, they were in danger of being shot. A parapet is an earthen bank or stone embankment protecting the soldiers from enemy fire. In a way, there is little difference today in certain quarters. We can feel that they are thinking, 'Friend or Foe,' and we may get shot at.

You may never have come up against this type of thing. But keep putting Jesus first and you soon will. You see, the devil doesn't like you, so he will turn people against you, causing them to hate and reject you, call you rude names and as I've mentioned, in certain non-believing countries, suffer imprisonment or death because of your faith. Fellowship with God leads to hostility from the world. When I was working as a social worker, I was threatened with losing my job if I spoke about Jesus. Yes, I was forbidden to speak about Him. I still did but I went undercover from thereon - covert operations. 😉

You see, when we say Yes to Jesus; when we allow Him to 'set us apart', the flak can begin at anytime. But we need to let the Holy Spirit have dominion over us in our home, our family, our work place, in the words that we speak, our emotions and in every thought that enters our mind. He needs to have entire possession of us.

When you do, it will cost but it is well worth it in the end. After all, who else will show the unbelievers Jesus?

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

The Holy Spirit and us. Part 2

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."                                                                              John 16:13.  NKJV

What is truth? This was a question Pilate asked Jesus when he was speaking with Him prior to His crucifixion. John 18.38. There have been several interpretations of this verse over the years. Some say: (1) This was Pilate's cynical denial of the possibility of knowing what is the truth; (2) 'What does truth matter?' (3) Or Pilate may have meant that it is not easy to find truth, what does it mean? Whatever, Pilate knew that there was no grounds for a criminal charge, not for teaching the truth.

The Holy Spirit only speaks the truth and that truth is from God - the ultimate truth. This is something that Pilate could not understand; but we know if the Hoiy Spirit dwells within us. The words that the Holy Spirit speaks to us are not empty words, they are the truth from the truth. Jesus said to His disciples, '31 If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.' John 8:31-32. It's impossible to walk in a truth that you do not know.

The Holy Spirit will guide us in all we do, if we allow Him to. We all know the well known Proverbs 3 about this, '5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.' What the Holy Spirit hears, He will tell us and guide us along the way. He will advise us, warn us and enlighten us. He will direct us also because, He is the director of God's work. He is reliable. He will give us revelation as we take each step guided by Him and we will be on the road to success because we are guided by the truth.

This is why we need to spend time with Him and get to know Him. How much time should we spend with Him? All of it. He's not a pressure to us and He will never condemn us or hurt us. He always loves us and wants to give us the best, always willing to help. Where else in this world could you receive this - nowhere!

How can we possibly ignore the love that He offers? Don't forget that He is fully God. There are three persons in one - the Trinity. God the Father. God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. 3 separate persons but all one in God. And each one of them loves each of us enormously. Why? Because they are all awesome and they want each one of us to be the same.

Are you willing to be awesome and sold out for God?. Then make sure that you spend time with your friend - the Holy Spirit. He will always point you to Jesus, who points you to the Father. Complicating? Never. Ask the Holy Spirit, He will explain it all to you if you ask Him.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

The Holy Spirit and us

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears he will speak; and he will tell you things to come."                                                                              John 16:13.  NKJV

Andrew Murray comments in his book, Absolute Surrender: 

'The Holy Spirit is the director of the work of God upon the earth. Every day, give Him the first place in Your life'

In the hustle and bustle of life, it can be easy to neglect God, especially the Holy Spirit, when we are up against the pressures of the day. We don't forget or reject Him, it is just that, things can come against us so fast, that it can be easy to try and sort things out on our own.

Think about it for a moment, how much Christian work is being done in the spirit of flesh - in the spirit of self? Do we wait for the Holy Spirit to direct the way for us or are we tempted to go it alone, in our own strength. Be honest with yourself here because it is so important to how we live our Christian lives and what blessings we receive or miss out on. Jesus said in John 15:5, 'I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.'

This is such an important verse. Who has not tried in vain to do a certain thing only to realise when there is no fruit, that we left Jesus out of the situation. I am sure we have all done this on occasions. We have to avoid trying to do things in the flesh - in our own strength. The only way we'll accomplish this is to place Jesus in His rightful place in our lives - first.

In the early church, the believers become so close to each other and to Jesus in their fellowship. The Greek word for fellowship is, Koinonia, and it means a close association and partnership with people. It is a unity. In Koinonia the individual shares in common an intimate bond of fellowship with the rest of the Christian society, It cements, (get this,) it cements the believers to the Lord Jesus and to each other. It you know anything about cement, once it has been prepared properly and has set, it is a solid bond, practically inseparable.

This type of fellowship is formed when our relationship with the Holy Spirit is joined properly. We melt together into one heart and soul. This is the type of unity that the Holy Spirit wants to have with each one of us. He is such a gentleman though, that He will never force Himself upon us. He hovers over us, rather like He did at creation, and has soon as we ask Him, He joins Himself to us. 

Andrew Murray further comments: 'Give yourself up to love and the Holy Spirit will come; receive the Spirit and He will teach you to love more.'

Why not invite God to do a deeper work within you and renew to you, the joy of His Holy Spirit:

Father, I give myself absolutely to You to carry out Your will in my life and to do, only what You want me to do. Please re-ignite the power of Your Holy Spirit within me. I place You first in my life and intend to always do this.

                                                          In Jesus' Name. Amen

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

 

You can't have your foot in both camps - one must go!

"So because you are lukewarm (Spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth (rejecting you with disgust).                      

                                                                                       Revelation 3:16 Amplified Study Bible

These are very strong words from Jesus, not what we would usually expect from Him. Let's look at the situation a little closer.

Laodicea was an arrogant, self-sufficient church set in a very wealthy city. It was possibly the wealthiest in the whole of the area. The Laodiceans were only giving God partial obedience as they wanted also their own independence. Consequently, they were serving two masters - possibly 25% to God, 75% to themselves. Partial obedience is always disobedience. Therefore, God called them lukewarm and told them He would vomit them out of His mouth.

When something is lukewarm, I don't know about you, but I feel it is horrible. Tea or coffee tastes disgusting this way, as does lukewarm water. I prefer my water ice-cold. Lukewarm is yuk. Cold springs of water are refreshing and hot mineral springs are medicinal, lukewarm is nauseating, hence why Jesus wanted to vomit them out of His mouth.

The Amplified interpretation of 'Spiritually useless,' may sound rather strong but it is emphasising  just how God sees us when we attempt to serve two masters. Lukewarm people tend to want God's blessings while enjoying the sins of the world as well, hence, they are 'rejected with disgust.' 

There comes a time in our Spiritual walk when we have to make a choice - who will we  place in the driving seat of our lives - the world or God. Many choose the world because of all the excitement that it can offer. However, the excitement can be short-lived and then they have to face Jesus at the end of their lives. It is far better to meet Jesus face to face as His friend than to face Him any other way. The price can be very high.

You may feel that you don't serve two masters and that is great if it is that way. But, if anything takes the place of God in your life, you could be skating on thin ice. Don't get me wrong, Jesus wants you to enjoy every moment of your life, He wants to bless you and gives you lovely things and people to love. However, if the love of money, your work or business or your possessions take His place, you stand the chance of becoming lukewarm. He must have first place in your life. Whatever you have in this life cannot be taken with you when you die; it will all be left behind. The most important thing you have is your relationship with Jesus; that will last and you can take it with you when you pass away.

Don't get yourself all beaten up by this, just make sure that whatever you do, whatever you have or whatever you want, must take second place to Jesus. He will have it no other way.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

 

The Behind Closed Doors Syndrome - again

"Therefore, I do not run without a definite goal; I do not flail around like one beating the air (just like shadow boxing). 27 But (like a boxer) I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached (the Gospel) to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified (as unfit for service)."             1Corinthians 9:26-27.  Amplified  Study Bible

I mention in the title, the word, 'again', and this is because it is an area that we need to perfect time and again until we get it right.

Andrew Murray says, 'How many there are who find it easier in church, or in a prayer meeting, or in work for the Lord - diligent, earnest work - to be holy and happy than in daily life with wife (husband) and children; easier to be holy and happy outside the home than in it.'

I call this the 'Behind Closed Doors Syndrome'. Why is this? Possibly when we are at home, we relax, watch TV and feel we can take off our guard and be ourselves. It's possible that this is the real you. The one outside - at church or home group, needs to impress, to keep up with the Jones'. At home, we can hide away. We really shouldn't be this way - acting as if we're two people. Being ourselves is what we should be in the home or out of it. There should be no difference. Look at David, when he should have been out in battles, he was sunbathing on his roof. This was how he noticed Bathsheba, committed adultery with her, made her pregnant and had her husband placed in such a place in battle that he was killed. He then took her as his wife. (Read 2 Samuel 11 for the whole story).

After Nathan the prophet confronted him, he was totally depressed and under conviction. He could do nothing until he repented. Look at our text, he was 'disqualified and unfit for service.'

We need to stop and take a look at ourselves today. Do we do one thing and say another. Do we talk about Jesus being our Saviour and then negate it by being someone different at home - arguing, swearing, shouting at the kids and totally living the hypocritical life? What do neighbours hear? I am sorry to mention it, but God shared it with me and I thought that I’d be kind and share it with you too,

This is serious business! When we are at home, we should be the same as if we are at the pulpit preaching God's Word, or counselling someone about how good God is. We cannot live two lives. We need be careful that we are not classed as unfit for service. As a church; as a man or woman of God we need to do some serious soul-searching and seek God for help. Let us send the Behind Closed Doors Syndrome to the refuse bin and fly the flag for Jesus.

Let's bring this to Him now:

Lord Jesus, I recognise that you are speaking to me and come to You right now for help. Please may I never disqualify myself and be unfit for Your service. If I have, please forgive me now. I repent and ask that You will help me to be one person, not one who puts on another hat  when home.

I ask in Jesus' Name . Amen

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

Live in Expectancy

"This is the day the LORD has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it." 

                                                                                                                  Psalm 118:24   NKJV

Each day we wake up to, is a new beginning - a new start. Basically, it is how we see it. We can either wake up and think, 'Oh no, here we go again,' or 'Yay, this is a new day and it's going to be a good one.' It's our choice. Forget yesterday with all the hassle; fix your eyes on today, yesterday has gone, it's in the past. We live for today not yesterday!

We have a choice whether to praise and rejoice in our new day or not. This is clearly seen in our text; 'we will rejoice.' It doesn't say, 'we will will not rejoice, we'll be miserable.' In fact, we need to go one step closer and personalise it with, 'I will rejoice. I will be happy, I will make the best of this day that I have been given.' There are many people who have passed on who would love this opportunity, do you get what I mean?

We need to be glad, happy, grateful and thankful. Jesus has saved us, healed us and rescued us. The title of this Psalm in my bible reads, 'Praise to God for His everlasting mercy.' The Greek for mercy is hesed which also means kindness, love and grace. Through God's mercy (Hesed) we are not consumed (wiped out). His compassion and Hesed are new every morning, they never fail. He is faithful. Taken from Lamentation 3:22-23. If you back up and look at v21, it reads, 'This I recall to my mind, therefore, I have hope.' In other words, remember what He has done for you in the past; turn around and change the way you think - your perspective of things. Do you realise that you control how you think today? It is down to the individual to choose, to the best of their ability, just how they will see themselves as the day pans out. Self-talk - the things you say to yourself through the day, should be positive not negative. There is enough negativity in this world today without creating some of our own. In fact, we can do ourselves a lot of psychological damage by what we say and think.

You may well have blown the day before it is hardly started with some unwholesome words or bad-temperedness, but Jeremy Pearsons says, 'My mistakes may be great, but His faithfulness is greater.' I love that. We do mess things up but as we say, Lord, I am so sorry,' hesed takes over and He forgives us totally. 

So change what comes out of your mind and mouth from negative to positive, turn from depression to hope and live in a constant state of expectancy. Create an atmosphere of expectancy wherever you are, it's catching and breeds encouragement and excitement. And excitement is where we should be; we serve an exciting God. You don't know what he is going to do from one moment to the next. So don't miss out, be happy, and healthy and blessed and anointed and filled with the power of God.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

 

                                

'What are we going to do?'

 "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.'                                                               Ecclesiastes 4:9-10.  NKJV

'What are we going to do?' is quite a common statement. It is heard all over the world whenever people are faced with trauma or some other kind of problem. It can cause panic, depression and total anxiety. However, when there is someone else around it always seems to be much easier. Have you noticed that? With couples, one may not be able to handle unscheduled things, whereas, the other partner can and seems to bring about a calmness that wasn't there before. Pretty soon, the person who panicked appears more able to handle the mini-crisis.

However, what of the people who are not in a partnership and are totally alone, what can they do to help bring peace to a situation? Well if that person is a believer, then Jesus is always there and extremely willing to offer a way through. 

Some people may feel that it is easier if two face a situation because, at least, they face it together and can talk it through and they also have Jesus to help. This is true. But people who are on their own are not so distracted by another person. They may have become used to this way of life and so, when a crisis comes along, can throw themselves on Jesus, asking for help and know they will receive it too.

Of course, this is all assuming that the people in partnership get on and agree about things in life. If they don't, then this can turn a shade nasty as agreement appears very difficult to negotiate. Similarly, the person alone, may not have a deep enough relationship with Jesus and some kind of a crisis can lead to severe anxiety.

Speaking to married couples or people on their own, please accept that you are not ever on your own. Jesus has promised that He will never leave you. Hebrews 13:5. Things that we are not expecting happen to us all. A large unexpected bill can suddenly pop through the letterbox, throwing us into, 'What are we going to do?' Panic can and does happen to most people. The thing is, it is all to do with how we handle it. There is always a way through. Panic will not help. The stress it causes blinds us to the possibilities and can make us ill. It is not worth it. 'What are we going to do?' Speak to Jesus about it, He has the answer; is easy to contact and very willing to help. He is a great problem-solver.

Just stop for a moment. Is the possibility of a heart attack or nervous breakdown worth it? This is what can and does happen to many people who don't handle life-issues well. You belong to Jesus. He does not - did you get that? HE DOES NOT WANT YOU BECOMING UPSET. He wants you to call Him in for advise whenever you need it. Right now, wherever you are, Jesus is right right beside you. If you have a problem, talk to Him about it.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

Time to re-evaluate

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only deceiving yourself." 

                                                                                                         James 1:22   NKJV

I believe God is calling His people to re-evaluate their walk with Him. He is looking for people who will not only hear the word, but do it. In fact, people who will live the word. So therefore, it is time to look at ourselves and determine where we could improve our daily lives.

It is time to take a good look at ourselves. God wants to pinpoint areas that need tweaking; those areas where we continue to fail in - those areas where we let Him and ourselves down. To be truthful, God wants to do an appraisal on us all. An appraisal is an assessment or estimation of the worth, value or quality of a person or thing. It's a performance related exercise that many work places carry out on their staff annually to look at their strengths and weaknesses. The difference between an employer carrying out an appraisal and God carrying one out, is that God is wanting to highlight certain areas that would do better with change and He is willing to do it with us. He seriously wants us to succeed and will do all He can to make this happen. An employer may penalise an employee for a bad assessment but God is different. He will bless the areas we are doing well with and will take our hand and help us through the areas we fall down on. We will never be penalised.

Take a look at your self. What is your strengths and what are your weaknesses? It's a good exercise to write these down, prayerfully, so that you can identify changes that need to be made. It's an exercise where we need to be brutally honest because this is the only way that we will make progress. Where could you make some improvements and what really needs discarding in your life?

Ask yourself two questions:

*  How would I describe myself?

*  Do I like myself?

You may discover that you have a low self-image, a low self-esteem and this is an area that will need some work on. If you feel this way, why do you feel like this? Can you do anything to improve this?

This exercise could be carried out with another person, but in my opinion, it is far better to carry this out in privacy. It's personal. God is the only one that needs to know about these issues. 

It is always helpful to take a look at ourselves and clearing out things can bring a great relief. Why not say this prayer with me:

Lord Jesus, I don't just want to hear what you're saying - I want to live it. Help me to evaluate my whole life and walk with You and discard the things that are causing me problems and build upon the areas where I am good at. Help me to bring glory to Your name O Lord and help me to make my life count for You.  In Jesus' Name, Amen. 

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

Life's never easy, but achievable

"Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours be done."                                                                                                      Luke 22:42.  NKJV

Some days life can be hard going, just one struggle after another and when it is like this, it's hard to find a way through all of the hurt, confusion or just, sheer dismay. Some days we have to do things that we would sooner avoid. However, deep in our hearts, we know that there is no other way, it has to be done.

Jesus must have felt this way when He was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew that His time was almost up and He wrestled with what He had to face. This is the cup that He mentioned. It was the cup of suffering and it contained all things that were sinful and ungodly. It was the sin of the world, including ours. He had to overcome this cup of suffering so that this victory would give us all freedom and the opportunity of eternal life. Yet in His humanity, for a moment, it was a daunting task. Jesus wasn't afraid of death but He would have avoided the type of death He faced, if it had been possible.

Andrew Murray, the great Scottish author and pastor writes, "The Holy Spirit works with mighty power, while on the human side, everything appears feeble. Look at Jesus in Gethsemane. For one moment there appears no sign of the mighty power of the Spirit, but it was there."

There's a lesson to learn here. When we observe someone, they may appear weak and unable to cope with the job in hand.However, the Spirit of God may be over them, giving them the power and ability to perform the task in awesome power. Let us never underestimate someone, God may be at work within them - a hidden power that at first we cannot see until is released.

The things you are facing at this time, may appear daunting and even impossible. You may be tempted to walk away and forget about it all. However, don't do that; face the task in front of you and say to God, 'Not my will Lord, but Yours be done.' As you do this, you hand the situation over to God and He will take your hand and help you find a way through. But there may be a price. Look at Jesus after He had come to terms with what He had to do, He was in agony, so much so that He actually sweat drops of blood and angels had to come and minister to Him. When you say, 'Not my will Lord, but Yours be done,' things may not always be bright and rosey. Often there will be a price to pay and Jesus paid the price, but that price brought us life. It may be similar for you. As you make a stand for God, He will give you all His help but it may be a difficult road to take. But in the end, it will be well worth it.

When we said, 'Yes,' to Jesus, He took it literally, and therefore, He will give us certain things to do. Some may be very pleasing to do but some may not. Whatever, He choses who he feels can do what the task is. There's no one like you. You're an original and He is counting on you.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com